Feeling Loved
by hopelessromanticgurl
Summary: Part of Help Her Heal story, ONE SHOT. Gabriella's first Christmas with the Bolton's will Troy be able to help her feel loved and like she belongs or will she suffer alone on Christmas?


**A/N I DO NOT ANYTHING! This is a small one shot that goes with my story Help Her Heal. I thought it would be cute to show Gabriella's first Christmas with the Bolton's so here it is.**

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Laughter could be heard outside in the Bolton living room but Gabriella Montez didn't dare enter to hear the joke. She stayed locked up in her bedroom resting on her bed. She was not blood related to anyone out there she was not a member of their family she had no right to intrude. Mrs. Bolton opened her home to her when they met at the hospital. Gabriella was a house guest and nothing more. Just then there was a knock at her door.

"Come in." she answered.

Her boyfriend and foster brother Troy Bolton walked in.

"Hey, everyone is looking for you. Why are you hiding in here anyway?"

"I don't deserve to be out there Troy. I'm not part of your family."

Troy closed the door and sat down on the bed next to her.

"You are a part of this family; we want you to be out there with us. It's Christmas Eve; we're supposed to spend it as a family."

"I've never celebrated Christmas before Troy, I never had a tree or presents, all I got was extra beatings."

Gabriella had been abused by her real father and that's why she was being fostered by the Bolton's.

"Baby that is why this is so special for you, it's your first Christmas so come enjoy it with us."

"I just don't feel right about it."

"Stop being so shy. Everyone out there loves you and wants you out there. It's your house to."

"I'm not a Bolton."

"And….who cares? Technically, my Aunt isn't a Bolton either. She is out there having fun."

"I have no Bolton blood in me."

"Neither does my Aunt. Baby just because our blood is not the same doesn't mean you aren't a Bolton. You are a part of this family now, blood or not."

"I don't feel it Troy, I just don't..."

"That's because you're locked in here. Come out into the living room and have fun."

"Will you stay with me?"

"Of course."

Gabriella and Troy locked hands and went out into the living room. Gabriella looked under the tree and saw it stacked high with presents.

"Wow Troy, you must have been really good this year."

"Oh those aren't my presents." He said matter of factly and then turned, pointed to another spot by the wall where the presents were. "Those are mine." He took a step back and pointed to the tree. "All of those are yours."

"All of them?" she asked him in disbelief.

"Yep."

Gabriella's eyes filled with tears. "From who?"

"Me, my parents, the gang, my Aunt and Uncle. Baby I told you people love you."

"I've never gotten presents before."

"Welcome to a real family." Troy said kissing her forehead with a smile.

They both took a seat near the tree. Gabriella stayed close and cuddled into Troy's side because she wasn't comfortable yet…but she was getting there. Almost. She grabbed a small gift off the top of a big one.

"That one is from me." Troy said.

Gabriella started to unwrap the box when she suddenly felt like she was being watched. She looked up and everyone in the room was staring at her. It wasn't just the Bolton's; it was Lucille's brother and his family as well. Gabriella hid her face into Troy shoulder. Everyone laughed.

"It's ok Baby." Troy said rubbing her back.

"Everyone is staring at me."

"Baby, everyone wants to see your gift and your face when you open it. Don't be shy."

Gabriella nodded and looked back at the gift. She slowly un-wrapped the beautiful snowman paper, she had to savor the moment, it was perfect. Eventually she opened the small box. Inside it was a beautiful silver necklace with T charm at the end.

"T as in Troy?" she asked.

"No, T as in trust or T as in together."

"What about tickle?" she asked softly.

Troy chuckled. Gabriella's favorite thing was to have Troy tickle her and he could never understand why. "Yes, it can be tickle too. The T stand for whatever you want it to mean. I saw it and thought it was a small symbol of trust."

"I love it Troy thank you."

They shared a kiss before sitting back down.

"Can you put it on me?"

They both stood up and Troy put the necklace on her. Before he pulled away he whispered in her hear. "Tickle!" He quickly tickled her sides making her giggle. They both sat down and looked to the tree.

She slowly took another gift and un-wrapped it. Her eyes filled with tears. It was a picture in an engraved frame" Welcome to the family." It was a picture of her with the Bolton's.

"Thank you, Jack, Lucille this is beautiful."

She stood and gave them both a hug.

"You're welcome baby."

She sat back down by Troy. She suddenly felt a small weight drop into her lap. She smiled when she saw Lizzie. Troy's four year old cousin.

"I made you this Gabi." She said handing her a picture of two stick figures above them said Gabi and me best friends forever." "Mommy helped me with the spelling."

"Lizzie this is beautiful thank you."

They shared a hug. "Drew said you were going to hate it."

Drew was Troy's other cousin. "I was kidding Lizzie. I got you something too. It's too make up for scaring you the first time we met." Drew said as he handed Gabriella small gift. She opened it was confused by just seeing a sheet of paper. "Read it."

Gabriella read over it and smiled.

"I felt so bad when I left here that day and after hearing what you said and what you went through I knew that I was lucky. So I've been getting help dealing with my anger and I want to thank you because I couldn't have done it without it."

"I'm proud of you Drew. Great job."

They shared a hug too.

"One more left…well other than the ones from the gang. But we can open those later when the gang comes over." Troy said.

Gabriella just nodded. It may have only been five gifts but to Gabriella it was enough. Troy's Aunt handed Gabriella a gift.

"It's sort of a joke type of gift. We didn't know what to get you so we asked Troy what you loved most and he said without even thinking about it that you loved when he tickled you. So this used to be Lizzie's that she agreed to give to you."

Gabriella unwrapped it the gift and laughed. It was a child's story book entitled "The Tickle Monster Attacks."

Under the book was a glove with a face on it. Gabriella guessed that was supposed to be the 'tickle monster."

"Each page has a different spot for the tickle monster to attack." Her Aunt continued.

She opened the book and smiled at the cartoon face of a monster. Gabriella giggled as she read the opening line. "On no! The tickle monster has escaped and is running lose tickling everyone in its path."

While she was reading Troy took the glove and put it on. Gabriella turned the page.

"If you're not careful he might sneak up on you and tickle your stomach…EEK!" Gabriella read the story but then squealed as Troy started to tickle her stomach.

Ok so maybe that was really childish but Gabriella never got to enjoy the fun of an interactive story book with her parents.

"Troy!" Gabriella giggled.

Lizzie crawled over to him and he quickly turned and tickled her too making her squeal and giggle.

"This is great. Thanks." Troy smirked.

"It was for Gabriella." His aunt laughed.

He turned the page of the book and smirked. He lifted Gabriella's arm and tickled her underarm. She screamed and laughed harder.

"Tro-Troy n-no no-not ther-there."

"I'm just doing what the book tells me."

Just then they heard the ornaments on the tree jingle. Troy stopped tickling her and noticed that Gabriella had been squirming so much that she kicked out almost knocking the tree over.

"Ok, we can play with that later." Lucille said.

"Sorry." Gabriella said turning red.

"It's ok. It was Troy's fault."

"Thank you for the gift. It I really like it. I know Troy really likes it too."

Everyone just laughed. "You're welcome."

"One last one, actually this one Is from John and I." Lucille said.

John was her brother.

"When John and I were growing up it was a tradition that each year we would get a new ornament to hang on the tree. We've passed that down to our children, since you are now a Bolton you deserve one."

John handed her a small gift. Gabriella opened it and forced herself not to cry. It was a picture of her with everyone in a small heart shaped ornament engraved it said "Gabriella Bolton's first Christmas."

She stood and went to put it on the tree. She suddenly felt all eyes on her again and her shyness kicked in. She sunk down to her knees and buried her face in Troy's shoulder.

"Everyone is staring again."

"It's ok. Come on I'll do it with you."

They both stood up and Troy wrapped his arms around Gabriella. They went over to the tree and hung it on a branch. Gabriella couldn't hold it in anymore. She turned and buried her face in Troy's shoulder and started to cry.

"What's the matter?" Troy asked hugging her rubbing her back. "What's wrong?"

"Troy I feel so different right now."

"Different how."

"Like I've never felt before. I'm just so happy and I feel cared about and wanted. What's wrong with me?"

Troy chuckled at her. He pulled her away from him so he could look her in the eyes.

"Baby, you feel loved. There is nothing wrong with you. You are starting to feel loved. I told you everyone loves you baby girl."

"I know. I believe you."

She turned to face everyone. "I love you all too."

"Group hug."

Everyone gathered around Troy and Gabriella squeezing them in a huge bear hug.

Gabriella started to cry again. She had never felt so loved before in her life and now that's all she was feeling and she liked it. Everyone just stood there hugging as Gabriella cried tears of joy. She was so thankful Troy convinced her to leave her room. It was because of him she even healed from her abusive past in the first place. It was because of Lucille she was able to feel loved right now.

"Thank you Lucille." She said.

"You're welcome."

"I feel loved." Gabriella cheered no longer crying. "I feel loved."

"I FEEL LOVED!"

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A/N this was just a one shot. I wanted to do something for the Holidays and this was all I could come up with. The ornament tradition is something my family and I do each year so I thought I'd add it in there. If you'd like feel free to share some of your Christmas traditions. Merry Christmas! **


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